Plum Vanilla Chia Jam (made with local plums from our CSA)
This recipe is brilliant and I certainly can’t claim it as my own. I recently saw a Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam recipe on Oh She Glows and it’s turned into my go-to jam recipe this summer.
We love to use jam in a variety of ways:
- in our oatmeal
- in our plain yogurt
- in thumbprint cookies
- on our banana ice cream
- on our sprouted muffins
- on our homemade bread
Using whatever fruit is in season throughout the summer, I make jam instead of buying it because the store bought version is too sweet. It’s been so hot here in southeastern PA that much of our fruit over-ripens too quickly — luckily this jam is very forgiving — overripe fruit is just perfect.
So far, I’ve made blueberry, peach and plum jam. They are all excellent! I recommend using white chia seeds for the peach jam – or with any other light-colored fruits. I made it with black and you can still see the chia seeds – not a problem for us, but they are noticeable. As far as texture, again the chia seeds don’t bother us, but I suppose there is a slight textural difference when compared to traditional jam. If you like a smoother jam – especially when you are using fruit that has a skin (don’t bother peeling it!) – blend the fruit or process the fruit in a food processor first before adding to the pot.
As for the sweetener, I used maple syrup for my first blueberry batch, then used coconut nectar for the peach and plum batches. For the peach jam, I used only two tablespoons of coconut nectar. The lovely thing is that the jam can be as sweet or as tart as you like. If you like it really thick, add a little more chia seeds. The jam will thicken as it cools in the refrigerator.
I have been on the lookout for an easy jam recipe with very little sweetener for years. And, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for – with the unexpected bonus of Omega 3s from the chia seeds! This jam is definitely a food I feel good about serving my family.
I hope you’ll try it and let me know how you like it!